All Articles — Nordic Labour Journal

Hadia Tajik, a trade union-supporting labour minister

(Nov 16, 2021) Hadia Tajik, Norway's new Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion, is a strong defender of trade unions. She will be responsible for what the red-green coalition government calls a spring clean of the labour market.

Can language technology make Nordic cooperation easier?

(Oct 13, 2021) The Nordic labour markets are starting to heat up. Unemployment in Denmark has come down below where it was before the pandemic. In Iceland, wages have been rising so fast that the country has had the highest wage increase in Europe.

The Nordic's most precious resource

(Sep 08, 2021) Trust is a crucial resource for the Nordic welfare states, but it does not cover everything and everyone. If you look closer, there are big differences in trust between the Nordic countries, but also internally in each of them.

Is the Nordic cooperation more fragile than we thought?

(Jun 29, 2021) As the Corona pandemic hit in early 2020, there was a brutal and global stock market crash, unemployment skyrocketed in many countries and air traffic more or less came to a halt.

Post-Corona recovery more uneven than the crisis itself

(Jun 29, 2021) How are the Nordic labour markets doing as the Corona pandemic is hopefully coming to an end? Will it be followed by a strong recovery or will companies that have been kept going with state support now face closure?

The many languages of working life

(May 28, 2021) In this edition, we look at work from several different points of view. But in reality, it all comes down to the same thing. Work gives us an identity and experiences we would not have otherwise. That is why we are vulnerable when our professional roles are under attack. Or if we never get the chance to work.

Margrethe Vestager dares take the fight to the giants

(May 28, 2021) EU’s Danish Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager fights against the big ones bullying the little ones. It brings her respect at home and abroad.

The green transition needs public support

(Apr 29, 2021) The green transition and Greenland. Are the two linked? The election result which turned the power balance upside down on the island was influenced by a controversial mining project. It promised an abundance of rare earth materials needed for lithium batteries that are used in electric cars and wind turbines.

Nordic cooperation during extreme times

(Mar 24, 2021) The Nordic Council of Ministers is 50 this year. Meanwhile, the cooperation between the Nordic countries is being challenged more than ever since 1971. But many things have also worked and we have gained new insight into the importance of our open borders.

How to become equal despite being different?

(Feb 24, 2021) A society can be unjust in many ways – different pay for different genders or discrimination of those who do not fit into the traditional gender roles. But people within minority groups, like those with disabilities, can also be treated unequally.

From Faroese independence to Nordic cooperation

(Feb 01, 2021) When she was younger, Kristina Háfoss was known as one of the Faroe Islands’ top competition swimmers. In recent years she has been best known for her work for Faroese independence, but now she is also working actively for increased Nordic cooperation.

Do we know more about the USA than Europe?

(Jan 22, 2021) Many have become experts on US politics in the past 12 months. A few days ago, Donald Trump left the White House for the last time and Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the USA. The transfer of power also has consequences for the Nordics and Europe.

Why minimum pay has become such a hot potato

(Jan 22, 2021) Why do Finns trust that the proposed minimum wage directive will not harm their labour market model, while the Danes and Swedes have no faith in the European Commission’s assurances? And why is the debate so heated? There are several reasons.

Even Santa Claus is hit by the Corona crisis

(Dec 10, 2020) The Nordic model is not past its best-before date. On the contrary, it is needed and it has shown its strength during the Corona pandemic. But it faces new challenges, which call for innovative welfare system finance solutions when new forms of employment and new technology disrupt entire sectors.

Magdalena Nour: Raze barriers against international talent

(Dec 10, 2020) Sweden lacks doctors, nurses, teachers and IT engineers, yet foreign-born job seekers struggle to access the Swedish labour market. If they make it as far as an interview, the experience often makes them feel surprise and frustration.

Towards happier times?

(Nov 11, 2020) A Covid-19 vaccine with a 90% success rate was a longed-for piece of news as the Nordic region is facing the second wave of the pandemic. This crisis also impacts on the integration of newly-arrived immigrants.

Life-saving communication

(Oct 07, 2020) The Corona pandemic continues its impact on Nordic citizens, who so far have supported their own governments and other authorities. In Iceland’s second city Akureyri, party politics have even been put aside and all political parties have joined forces on the city council.

Collective agreements important for people's trust in the future

(Sep 09, 2020) It has been trying times for everyone participating in the Nordic exercise known as collective bargaining. The social partners deciding, between themselves, how wages should develop, is one of the pillars of the Nordic model.

Susanna Gideonsson: We must defend the Swedish model

(Sep 08, 2020) Swedish LO’s new President, Susanna Gideonsson, has deep roots in the trade union movement. At 16 she started getting engaged in work against unfair conditions at work, and now she represents 1.4 million LO members across 14 unions. Her current main challenge is to protect the Swedish model against political interference in labour law reform.

Has the Corona crisis damaged the Nordic cooperation?

(Jun 14, 2020) Will the Nordics emerge strong after the Corona crisis, or has their cooperation been weakened by different forces triggered by the pandemic? The answer is, as so often is the case, complicated.